The majority of households are today fitted with smoke detectors of one type or the other. The most simple smoke detector is a battery-operated unit which is generally mounted on the ceiling in a passage, hallway, staircase or the like, in a location where there is at least a partial air flow, so that if a fire does occur, smoke will be monitored by the smoke detector, and a signal given. Most of these smoke detectors have a horn or a buzzer which sounds when the smoke is detected.
One of the problems encountered with these kinds of smoke detectors is the difficulty in resetting the alarm after it has gone off due to a false signal. This false signal usually occurs when cooking or if a fireplace is lit. Once the alarm on the smoke detector begins, it can continue up to 30 minutes before the mechanism of the detecting device resets itself. Thus, the householder has to put up with this alarm for as long as 30 minutes, which is generally considered intolerable. In most cases, householders disconnect the smoke detector, and this has to be done by climbing up and disconnecting the battery. Once the battery is disconnected, it is usually forgotten and not reconnected; therefore, the smoke detector remains inoperative and stays that way. Thus, the whole purpose of the smoke detector is destroyed.
Canadian Pat. No. 1,188,773 dated June 11, 1985 and entitled: "SMOKE DETECTOR INDICATOR", inventor: Laurent Cormier, describes a ceiling-mounted smoke detector which can be turned off in the event of a false alarm and which gives a visual indication of such turn-off condition. However, in this system, the person wishing to turn off the smoke detector still has to climb up to the detector itself or use of long stick to open the switch.